Vertress City, this is where the Unova League headquarters lies, and the region's major tournament, the Unova Vertress Conference, is held here as well.
Alder, too, has returned to this city after being away for years.
He has traveled the world for a long time and hasn't been back for ages.
In the conference room, the Unova League Elite Four there, along with Jenny and Joy, are gathered.
"Team Rocket has invaded, and Team Plasma is circling like hawks; what do we do now?"
The Unova League chairman, a slightly stout elder, speaks in a grave voice to everyone.
"Sigh…," Alder leans back in his chair, folding his arms, the weight of the moment pressed on his features.
He never imagined that Team Plasma would awaken the Dragon from the founding myth, no wonder Ghetsis has kept talking about cooperating with the Unova League to fight Team Rocket.
So Team Plasma actually does have a trump card.
And that Zekrom's Trainer…
Hearing about the green-haired young man who earned Zekrom's approval, Alder's brows furrow; he had studied him closely at the time—eyes vacant, not quite human, more like a soulless puppet.
And he calls Ghetsis "Father" — is this kid Ghetsis's son?
But now there's no question the situation in Unova is dire.
Out there, Team Rocket is spreading their influence across Unova; inside, Team Plasma is stirring trouble, and the Unova League is in a tight spot.
Alder feels his scalp tingle, rubbing his head as he ponders strategies.
"With our current strength, whichever side we target, the result won't be good. Is there a possibility that we could let Team Rocket and Team Plasma engage each other instead?"
Joy, who oversees people, speaks softly with a gentle voice and offers a suggestion.
She's already hinted that the upper echelons of Unova are severely underpowered; the Elite Four is merely average, and Alder… has not fought a real battle in years.
In other words, whether it's Team Rocket or Team Plasma with their Zekrom, the Unova League can't beat them…
"I write novels, and I wouldn't dare to push the protagonist into such a corner," Shauntal pipes up.
She's Ghost type Elite Four, and her hobby is writing stories.
"Letting Team Rocket and Team Plasma duke it out is fine, but what about when they actually start fighting in the middle of a city?"
Grimsley, in a formal tailcoat, the Unova League's Dark type Elite Four, asks, challenging the logic.
"Team Rocket has a track record in Kanto and Hoenn; they're without restraint, they don't care about ordinary civilians," Grimsley states bluntly.
Letting the two beasts clash would be the dream scenario.
But the problem is, the ground they'll clash on is Unova's turf!
What if they clash in the city? Who will the Unova League protect—the civilians or nothing?
Or perhaps they evacuate civilians and let Team Rocket and Team Plasma go at it inside the city?
That would be ridiculous.
"And according to Hoenn's intel, Team Rocket has three top-tier Admins—at least three Champion-tier trainers."
Jenny, in charge of people, brings up a projector and displays the profiles of Damian, Caitlin, and Zinnia.
"Draconid Zinnia, a Dragon-type Champion; her strength is nearly on par with Hoenn's Champion Steven,"
"and the psychic Caitlin; she used to be the Sinnoh Battle Chateau owner,"
"now specializing in Psychic types; her team is formidable, she's beaten Hoenn's former Champion Wallace twice,"
Jenny continues, serious.
"Finally, Damian; not only is he extremely capable, he also owns Hoenn's legendary Pokémon, the deep-sea king Kyogre!"
Jenny emphasizes Damian at the center.
Alder's eyes narrow as he stares at this black-haired boy.
"Kyogre has been fully captured by him, everyone. If we let Team Rocket and Team Plasma clash, it won't be long before Team Plasma gets swallowed by Team Rocket!"
Jenny's voice lowers; Hoenn's history shows Team Rocket chewing up Team Magma and Team Aqua, turning them into part of its own growth.
"Then, when Team Rocket swallows Team Plasma, we'll be powerless to deal with it."
"Wait, Officer Jenny, those three Team Rocket Admins have all come to Unova?"
Grimsley's brows knit; he questions Jenny.
"Yes, I pulled Driftveil City's surveillance and recent flights from Kanto to Unova," Jenny replies in a measured tone.
"Damian, Zinnia, Caitlin—the three of them just arrived in Castelia City a few days ago."
"…tsk…"
Grimsley falls silent, slumping back into his chair with a sigh.
What can he say? What is there to say?
The conference room falls unusually quiet; Alder and others sit speechless.
Three Champion-tier trainers, one of them a top-tier Champion, and one who mastered the ancient legendary Kyogre.
And elsewhere, there is the Hero of Ideals who has gained Zekrom's recognition.
Neither side is something they can provoke now. So what to do?
Powerless, really powerless—the sense of helplessness none of them has felt before.
"What should we do?" he asks in his mind.
"I'll call for backup from other regions," the Unova League chairman—clearly exhausted—says.
"Mr. Chairman…" Alder's expression is complex: "Sorry, it's all my fault; I've let you down."
Alder sighs; if only he were stronger, he wouldn't have to rely on other regions for backup.
Such a thing is not easy to swallow.
"Alder, you've done a lot for Unova already; there's nothing to reproach yourself for." The Unova chairman consoles him.
"And there's nothing to be ashamed of—Hoenn already called for backup from other regions earlier, didn't they?"
The chairman smiles; although asking for backup is a humiliation, it's not unheard-of.
"For now, the most important thing is to weather this crisis; we cannot let Team Plasma or Team Rocket harm Unova."
The Unova League chairman's voice is grave.
"Yes!"
Everyone responds with resolve.
"Okay, I'll contact the chairmen of other regions now; you all continue to discuss operation plans."
The Unova chairman stands and speaks, then leaves the conference room, leaving Alder and the others behind.
"Champion Alder, I have an ideology," Grimsley suddenly speaks up to Alder.
"You say," Alder replies.
"Weren't you saying that under Team Rocket's pressure, Ghetsis from Team Plasma wanted to cooperate with us?" Grimsley's expression turns a bit creepy.
"If that's the case, once the other regions' champions arrive, we can use this to persuade Ghetsis and that Hero of Ideals to meet," Grimsley explains.
"You want to take down Ghetsis and that Hero of Ideals first?"
Jenny, in charge of people, instantly grasps Grimsley's ideology and frowns.
"Grimsley, that's very risky. If we fail, we'll push Team Plasma right into our opponents' hands."
"Rather than waiting for Team Rocket to swallow Team Plasma and swell, why not eradicate Team Plasma ourselves, Officer Jenny? You're being too conservative."
Grimsley pushes a counterargument.
"First, Team Plasma is an evil organization! They're already our opposite!"
"Team Rocket's manpower isn't enough right now; they're only the upper echelon of power, while Team Plasma is a different story," Jenny retorts.
"Now Team Plasma has someone endorsed by Zekrom; if Team Plasma uses the founding myth to guide civilians, their threat will be very real."
Grimsley says coolly.
"In my view, Team Plasma's threat right now is more serious than Team Rocket's, and they're the softer pick—easier to deal with."
"But we can't guarantee we can completely beat Team Plasma; we don't know the full power of the Ideals Dragon Zekrom yet," Jenny argues.
"If our ambush fails, we could push the Hero of Ideals into Team Rocket's camp! Then how would we face a stronger Team Rocket?!"
"In my view, guiding Team Plasma to clash with Team Rocket is the best move for now; once reinforcements arrive from other regions, we can strike proactively."
Jenny's ideology clearly clashes with Grimsley's.
The whole conference room has turned into a debate arena between Grimsley and Jenny.
Alder's head aches; both sides have valid points, and he's unsure which plan to push.
Meanwhile, Damian and the others have already set out.
Blueberry Academy appears in the Crimson and Violet DLC, but its location is in the Unova Region.
Damian and the three have just arrived at Blueberry Academy.
Though it's a relatively new institution, Blueberry Academy is already one of the finest schools in the Unova Region.
And Blueberry Academy also masters Tera tech.
Terastal is a Paldea Region buff method that can alter Pokémon typings, sourced from the Terastal Orbs engineered by Professor Sada and Professor Turo.
Tera energy inside the Tera Orb lets Pokémon Terastal, but a Tera Orb can be used only once unless it's recharged by a Crystal overflowing with Terra energy or by visiting a Paldean Pokémon Center to refill Terra energy.
Only then can the Tera Orb be used again.
"Who are you?" at the Blueberry Academy gate, the school security stops Damian and the three for questioning.
"Hello, we've been very curious about Blueberry Academy, so we'd like to tour," Damian replies with a gentle smile.
"Got it. Then please register here; some areas inside the academy are off-limits to visitors, please be mindful."
The security staff are friendly and straightforward.
"Sure," Damian nods.
The trio registers with security and gains entry into Blueberry Academy. Not long after, Damian's eyes lock on something not far away.
There's a young black-haired couple; their hairstyles are quite distinctive—two bangs cross over the forefrontal area, hanging down near their noses.
This appearance is striking enough to leave a strong impression.
These two are the primary targets of Damian's visit: Kieran and Carmine, the sibling duo.
~~~
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